Date: July 17, 2004

The Mysteries Within: A Surgeon Explores Myth, Medicine, and the Human Body by Sherwin Nuland

BCDC's rating: 2.1

The menu for this meeting: liver pate, salmon pate, cheese and crackers, brownies, wild rice salad, and more

The BCDC Reading Guide for The Mysteries Within is below.

• Nuland's clearest statement about the difference between science and tradition is in Chapter 5. He says that science is falsifiable and tradition is not. Is falsifiability a necessary component of a superior system of understanding the world?
• What do you think of Nuland's use of language? Specifically, his use of male pronouns to refer to all humans and his use of the word "chubbies." Did this color your reaction to the book?
• Must we choose between science and religion? Might we rely on both to understand the world?
• At the end of Chapter 5, Nuland writes "Science and religion are not at odds -- they explain two separate realms of human experience." This kind of dualism is often looked down on by philosophers, religious folk, and many scientists of my acquaintance. Are you comfortable with it?
• At the end of Chapter 5, Nuland writes: "Science and religion are not at odds -- they explain two separate realms of human experience." How are we to know which things fall into which realm? Is (for example) the abortion debate better settled by science or religion?
• If you could re-write this book, how would you change it? (Assume you are restricted to Nuland's thesis and evidence.)